Dream11 Fantasy NPB: Dragons at Giants

Chunichi Dragons (19-26-4) at Yomiuri Giants (27-15-3)

Saturday, August 15th, 1:00 AM EDT

Projected Starters

Yomiuri Giants: LHP Kazuto Taguchi (2-1, 3.60 ERA)

Chunichi Dragons: RHP Yuichiro Okano (2-1, 4.82 ERA)

Game Preview

The Giants and the Dragons are riding through different runs of form at the moment, with Yomiuri on a four-game undefeated streak (W3, D1) while the Dragons have won just two of their last five contests (W2, D1, L2). The record of both clubs this season paints a perfect picture of what both teams have been so far, with the Giants leading the Central League standings while the Dragons are dead last in the same table. The pitching matchup for this game features Kazuto Taguchi for the Giants and Yuichiro Okano for the Dragons. Taguchi has a better ERA and also has more support compared to what Okano might have in the Chunichi lineup, so the lefty looks like a solid fantasy asset here.

Injuries

Zoilo Almonte - Out - Side

7/3 2:43 PM IST - Almonte was removed from the Dragons' active roster after suffering a side injury Thursday. Almonte hit a ball off his side in Thursday's contest, and he'll be examined Saturday to determine the severity. He'll have to spend at least 10 days off the roster as he recovers. Almonte has a .317 OBP with one home run and five RBI over his first 12 games of 2020.

Ryosuke Hirata - Out - Elbow

7/23 1:30 AM IST - The Dragons deactivated Hirata on Monday due to a right elbow injury. One of the Dragons' more reliable batsmen over the past couple of seasons, Hirata was dropped from the active roster after struggling early on in the 2020 campaign. Over 73 plate appearances, Hirata was batting just .164. Masataka Iryo is expected to take over as the Dragons' primary option in right field in Hirata's stead.

Shun Ishikawa - Out - Hand

7/22 1:24 AM IST - Ishikawa was removed from the Dragons' active roster ahead of Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Giants due to cartilage damage in his left hand. The Dragons have yet to announce a timeline for Ishikawa's potential return to the active roster. The 30-year-old corner infielder has appeared in 11 games for Chunichi in 2020, going 3-for-10 with a triple and two RBI.

Shotaro Kasahara - Out - Oblique

7/31 3:09 AM IST - Kasahara was diagnosed with a right oblique injury Saturday and has been ruled out indefinitely. Oblique injuries often carry volatile timetables, but it's probably safe to expect the left-hander to be sidelined for multiple weeks. He went 3-2 over his eight outings with the Dragons this season, posting a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 innings.

Seiji Kobayashi - Out - Forearm

6/23 2:14 PM IST - Kobayashi will miss 3-to-4 weeks with a fractured left forearm, according to sponichi.co.jp. Kobayashi started the Giants' first and third games behind the plate, but he will not take the field again until sometime in July. Ginjiro Sumitani and Takumi Oshiro are in line to share the catching duties for the Giants until Kobayashi returns.

Kazuto Taguchi - Out - Undisclosed

7/5 9:44 AM IST - Taguchi was removed from the Giants' first-team roster Sunday. Taguchi was pulled from Saturday's start against the Dragons after three scoreless innings due to an apparent injury, and it appears he may miss some time. The specifics remain unclear, but any absence could be significant since he has a 2.08 ERA this season.

Kota Yamashita - Out - Hand

7/9 4:36 AM IST - Yamashita, who has been sidelined all season with a broken right hand, was able to complete some on-field activities Wednesday, Sponichi.co.jp reports. The 19-year-old outfielder/first baseman only has 13 career NPB plate appearances to his name, but manager Tatsunori Hara suggested Yamashita could be a candidate for an everyday role before he sustained the injury shortly before Opening Day. Yamashita was at least fortunate that the injury was to his non-throwing hand, so he may have a shorter recovery timeline than one normally associated with a fracture. He was able to hit off the tee and play catch Wednesday, so expect him to ramp up his activities in the weeks to come.

Yomiuri Giants Expected Lineup

1. Naoki Yoshikawa

2. Hayato Sakamoto

3. Yoshihiro Maru

4. Kazuma Okamoto

5. Yoshiyuki Kamei

6. Hiroyuki Nakajima

7. Gerardo Parra

8. Ginjiro Sumitani

9. Kazuto Taguchi

Chunichi Dragons Expected Lineup

1. Masataka Iryo

2. Yohei Ohshima

3. Toshiki Abe

4. Dayan Viciedo

5. Nobumasa Fukuda

6. Yota Kyoda

7. Takuma Katoh

8. Naomichi Donoue

9. Yuichiro Okano

Top Picks From Each Team

Kazuma Okamoto, Giants: Okamoto has a team-leading 16 home runs and has been one of the most productive bats in the league this season. That should be enough reason to list him as a captaincy alternative in a game where the Giants are clear favorites.

Dayan Viciedo, Dragons: Viciedo has been Chunichi's best offensive player this season, and the numbers back him up. The slugging infielder has nine home runs and 35 RBI while posting a .266 average in 202 plate appearances.

Captaincy Options

1. Kazuma Okamoto
2. Dayan Viciedo
3. Gerardo Parra
4. Kazuto Taguchi

Dream11 Team

P – Kazuto Taguchi

C – Takaya Tanaka

IF – Dayan Viciedo

IF – Kazuma Okamoto (C)

IF – Zelous Wheeler

OF – Gerardo Parra (VC)

OF – Kengo Takeda

OF – Yoshihiro Maru

OF – Yohei Ohshima